MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI -- Early childhood education has
received a big boost from the state with the recent addition of 118 new
subsidized preschool slots to providers in Muskegon County.

Another 294 Great Start Readiness Program slots added last summer means the total number has increased by 41 percent to 1,412, said Stuart
Jones, director of early childhood services for the Muskegon Area Intermediate
School District.

The full-day GSRP slots awarded in December were added to the Muskegon Heights Early
Childhood Center at Martin Luther King Elementary School, Reeths-Puffer
Elementary School, the Buttons and Bows Preschool in Whitehall and Explorers
Preschool in Roosevelt Park, Jones said.

"County leaders have long
had a goal to improve access to pre-school opportunities for any Muskegon
County parent wanting it for their child," Jones said. "The MAISD has acted
aggressively in accepting these new slots as a result of Gov. Snyder and the
Legislature's expansion of early childhood funding.

"We believe strongly that this
is part of the strategy for improving child outcomes and success in
school."

GSRP provides free
preschool to 4-year-olds. The expansion of the program in Muskegon County has
helped reduce preschool waiting lists for both GSRP and Head Start, Jones said.

The federal Head Start program, which provides free half-day
preschool to 3- and 4-year-olds, was reduced by 54 slots due to federal
sequestration reductions, Jones said. There now are 847 Head Start slots in
Muskegon County.

Head Start serves children living at or below the poverty
level, which is about $23,000 annual income for a family of four. However, GSRP
serves those at 250 percent of the
poverty level, which is about $60,000 for a family of four, Jones said. Head
Start provides transportation, while GSRP programs typically don't, he said.

The state budgeted an additional $65 million this year to
expand GSRP, the largest budget expansion for preschool in the nation.
Educators say quality preschool programs are critical to combat school
drop-outs and improve student achievement.